


Five Christmases

by MaeveBran



Category: The Americans (TV 2013)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 14:02:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17061143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaeveBran/pseuds/MaeveBran
Summary: A brief glimpse at the first five Christmases the Jenningses spend after Philip and Elizabeth go back to Russia,





	Five Christmases

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Raisintorte](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raisintorte/gifts).



First Christmas:  
Russia

The first Christmas that the Jenningses spent apart was just a few days after Philip and Elizabeth left for home. Not Home. Not anymore. But it would have to be. It would be home again, sometime, hopefully soon. Moscow had changed in many ways and not all of them for the better.

Philip looked around the small apartment he and Elizabeth shared. It was dingy and in the heart of the city. The walls were thin enough to hear the neighbors. Like they were several decades ago, only now you could hear them, but not make out the individual words. That was somewhat of an improvement. What wasn't an improvement was the fact that there was no tree, no decorations, and no Paige and Henry.

Elizabeth walked into the main room with a bottle of vodka and two glasses. She sat on the sofa next to Philip but not touching him. They still hadn't worked out all of their problems but they were getting there. She set the glasses on the shoddy coffee table and poured a double shot for them both. Philip took his glass when she handed it to him.

“Merry fucking Christmas,” Elizabeth toasted. Philip clinked his glass with hers. They downed the alcohol in one quick gulp and set the glasses back on the table. Philip poured another set of double shots for them. They tossed those back too. Elizabeth poured another round but neither reached for it.

“I wonder if Paige and Henry are together,” Philip finally spoke.

“I bet they are both at the Beemans',” Elizabeth said, as if that could be a comfort.

“I hope so,” Philip agreed. 

They drank their third round of vodka. Elizabeth leaned her head on his shoulder. The last few nights they had lain side by side in the double bed, in the other room, trying not to touch more than necessary. There were still unresolved issues of trust from Philip informing Oleg on Elizabeth but now, as they were both missing their children, those didn't matter. What mattered was that they were together in Russia while their children were still in the United States. They didn't know if their children would be together or if they would ever see them again. This Christmas night the only thing that mattered was that there was another who felt the pain and loneliness and together they could push it away for a while.

Elizabeth leaned up and kissed Philip. He returned the kiss and gathered her in his arms. He deepened the kiss from simple comfort to need. She shifted to straddle his lap and reached to undo the fastenings on his pants as he shoved her skirt up. Before things got truly interesting, Philip levered himself to stand as Elizabeth tightened her legs around his waist. He staggered them both into the bedroom and fell back wards on to the bed.

United States

Henry knocked on Paige's apartment door. Stan had picked him up from the train station but had had to go into work. The house across from the Beemans' was still cordoned off as a crime scene, so Henry had left his luggage in the spare room at Stan's. He had found himself at loose ends so thought to see if he could track down his sister, so he found himself here.

Henry knocked on the door. It swung open to show his sister. Paige smiled and pulled Henry into a hug and into the apartment. She let him go long enough to shut the door behind him.

“My roommate is not here,” Paige said. “So we can talk.”

“Good,” Henry said as he sank onto the couch. “Stan said they are Russian spies.”

“Yes,” Paige said as she sank down on a chair facing him. “They are.”

“You knew?” he asked, hurt.

“I knew something was up,” Paige carefully said. She remembered her anger and hurt when she found out. At least when she found out her only sibling hadn't known. Se only hoped that Henry would see that they had kept the secret to keep him safe and let him go to school. “The late night work emergencies, the cryptic phone calls, and the rules about not going into their bedroom, weren't normal. I confronted them about it. They told me, but made me swear not to tell you.”

“When?” was all Henry could manage.

“Five years ago,” Paige says. “Just after I was baptized.”

“Five years and you didn't tell me?” he pointed out.

“You were twelve,” Paige returned. “Could you have kept it a secret? If you couldn't, we all would have had to return to Russia.”

Henry let that sink in. Could he, at 12 years old, have kept a secret like that? He had to concede that he probably couldn't have kept it. Particularly not as he became friends with Stan. Stan the FBI agent. Stan his dad's best friend. How on earth did that work? His Russian spy father best friends with an FBI agent. How many times had they almost had to flee the country that Henry would never know? These were all thoughts that flashed through Henry's mind.

“You're right,” he agreed. “I would never have been able to keep that from anyone let alone Stan. They would have been arrested or we would have had to flee.”

“So you're not mad at me?” Paige asked.

“Not anymore,” Henry said with a small smile. “Will you come to the Beemans' tomorrow for Christmas?”

“I'm not sure Stan will want me there,” she hesitated.

“Why not?” he asked.

“Because I was with Mom and Dad when he confronted them on their way out of the city,” Paige replied. “He was pretty upset. Particularly about Matthew and I. But if he says it's ok, I'll be there.”

“I'll ask him when I get back and call you,” Henry said as he got up. Paige walked him to the door and hugged him again.

 

The Second Christmas

The second Christmas after Philip and Elizabeth left the United States saw them in Bucharest. They had rented an apartment for the month of December. Conditions weren't much better than in Moscow, but it did have the advantage of being a place where Henry and Paige could come and visit. Paige had found a way to get a few letters to her parents and they had managed just one reply to set up this Christmas visit. They had some important news to share with their children.

Elizabeth checked the oven to see if the cookies were done yet. Philip had gone to pick up the kids from the airport and she was nervous. Last year she would have been chain smoking to deal with the stress but she had given up the habit six months ago. She swore this time it was for good.

The door opened as Elizabeth had her head down. Philip came in followed by Paige and Henry.

“We're home,” Philip called like he used to when he had taken the kids to the mall and left her behind. If she concentrated enough, it would be like being back home in Virginia and the last year would have been a dream. A very bad dream. But the year had happened. She straightened up and put the cookie sheet on the counter. Philip carried in the two suitcases as Paige and Henry dropped their back packs by the door as they greeted their mother.

“Mom, we're home,” said Paige.

“Hey, Mom,” greeted Henry.

Elizabeth turned to look at her children. She took in the changes that a year of worry had wrought in them. They got a look at their mother for the first time in a year. She looked rather stouter than Paige remembered.

“Mom, are you. . .” Paige started but she couldn't finish her thought.

“Pregnant?” Elizabeth suggested. “Yes, I am.”

Paige squealed with delight and rushed to hug her Mother. Henry hung back, afraid that his parents were trying to replace him and his sister with the new baby.

“We aren't trying to replace you,” Philip said as if reading his son's mind. “We decided-”

“Mother nature decided,” Elizabeth interrupted.

“Mom!” exclaimed Henry. He had to protest any mention that his parents still got it on even though he was relieved to know that they were still in love even after all that had happened.

“Anyway, we decided that we could make room in our hearts and lives for another child,” Philip said. “We hope you'll find the room too.”

“But you don't have to do it today,” Elizabeth said. “Let's just enjoy the next week.” She came over and hugged Henry. He hugged her back for a second, a little awkward around her growing baby bump.

“Do I smell Christmas cookies?” Henry asked as he stepped out of her embrace.

“I made them just for you,” Elizabeth answered as she walked back to the counter and started putting the cookies on a plate. Henry reached out and snatched one from the tray. It would be just like all those Christmases in America this year. Elizabeth set about enjoying the day.

 

The Third Christmas

The third Christmas found the Jenningses in Trelew, Argentina. The situation in Russia was becoming unstable and it had seemed like the right thing to do to move. They had no love for Europe and the United States or any of its territories were not safe either. Argentina did not have an extradition treaty with the US and was one of the few non African or Arab states to do so. Gabriel and Claudia had married and decamped to Trelew the year before and they had sent letters inviting Philip and Elizabeth there. That made their decision easier.

Philip and Gabriel had purchased a sheep ranch together. They learned the work and started to make it work. Claudia lived in the house next door and was always glad to babysit little Emmett Gabriel Jennings. It was a strange way of life but it was slowly becoming normal. The pace was more relaxed and no one was trying to kill any of them. They had to occasionally battle the elements or a stubborn sheep but that was alright. No marks to honey trap, no need to stuff anyone in a suitcase, and definitely no viruses to have to smuggle out of the country. It was peaceful.

Christmas came around about six months after they had moved in. The town was full of old world traditions that were strange to the Jenningses. But one tradition that was not was family. Elizabeth was doing the usual baking whilst Claudia played with little Emmett. Philip had gone to the airport to pick up Paige and Henry.

“You're getting so big,” Claudia cooed at the baby. Elizabeth smiled at the sound of the deadliest woman she knew making baby talk but that was her life now.

“We're home,” Philip called out. Just like last year the memory of all the times he had done that before washed over Elizabeth. This was home. Not the building but the sound of his voice tinged with that extra pride because his family was all together. “And this time with a surprise.”

Philip carried in two suitcases, which he set down just inside the door, as Henry followed with another. Behind him came Paige and behind her came a young man. One Elizabeth didn't recognize. Then she looked again. Gone was the long floppy hair of a rebellious teenager in his place was a young professional. 

“Mom, you remember Matthew Beeman,” Paige said.  
“Of course,” Elizabeth wiped some non-existent flour from her hands on her apron and took it off as she came over to greet him. “Welcome to our home, Matthew.” She gave her daughter a look.

“We're engaged,” Paige said as she held up her left hand to show off the diamond on a gold band around her ring finger.

“Congratulations,” Philip said, as he thumped Matthew on the back and hugged his daughter.

“Yes, congratulations,” Elizabeth echoed as she hugged both of the young people.

 

The baby began fussing and Claudia brought him over.

“Little Em needs his Mama,” Claudia said as she passed the baby to Elizabeth.

“Is that my brother?” Paige asked as she rushed over to her mother. Elizabeth introduced the baby around and then took him into the master bedroom to feed him.

The rest of the vacation was a mix of old traditions and new with new people added to the family circle. Claudia and Gabriel almost acted like the grandparents that Henry and Paige had never had. Another new tradition came from the neighbors. Who carries around a horse's skull and sings for treats? Apparently the Welsh settlers did. It was a strange custom but it seemed fitting after all the death that had been apart of their lives. 

 

The Fourth Christmas

If the third Christmas had been about new family, the fourth was even more so. The Jenninges were in the middle of preparations for a New Year's Eve wedding in the local chapel. Paige and Matthew had their parents in Argentina for the event. All their parents – Stan and Renee, Sandra and Arthur, and Philip and Elizabeth.

Just after sundown on New Year's Eve, the local chapel gleamed with candlelight and white roses. It was late and the air was warm. The chapel was surprisingly full. Besides five of the six parents in the audience, Claudia and Gabriel were there. A pregnant Alice sat with her and Tim's seven year old daughter. Other locals and workers from the sheep ranch were there. Henry stood with Matthew and Pastor Tim as Philip walked Paige down the aisle. Once he had given Paige into the keeping of Matthew, Philip sat down beside Elizabeth. She had one arm wrapped around little Emmett but with her free hand she took a hold of Philip's and they shared a smile. Each remembered the empty safe house where they had exchanged secret vows only seven years before. Paige and Matthew exchanged their vows and Pastor Tim pronounced them man and wife. The reception was held out in the open area at the ranch between the Jennings' house, the one Claudia and Gabriel shared, and the new house built for the newlyweds. It lasted until midnight when fireworks were lit.

The Fifth Christmas

The fifth Christmas was once again held in Patagonia. This time Stan and Renee had retired and built another house on the sheep ranch. The irony of a retired FBI Agent living and working with at least four former Russian spies was too much if any one thought about, which was why no one thought about it. They just lived their lives. This Christmas, the large family was expecting a new addition. Paige gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Nadezhda Sandra Beeman. It was the greatest gift that could have been gifted to them all.


End file.
